The first of Del Rey's Thompson titles appeared in 1985; at that point in time, her works had been out of print since the 1960s.

Del Rey was formed in 1977 as a imprint of Ballantine Books, by editors Judy-Lynn and Lester del Rey; it concentrated on science fiction and fantasy titles, and published a roster of significant figures, from Arthur C. Clarke and Isaac Asimov to Terry Brooks and Ann McCaffery, among many others. The imprint continues as a division of Random House.